This page is the one to watch for all the latest news and information about PCalc for the iPad, iPhone, Apple Vision Pro, and Apple Watch. Follow me as @jamesthomson on Mastodon or read my developer blog for more.
2nd February 2024
PCalc 3.13.2 is now available for Apple Vision Pro here. This is a universal purchase with the iPhone and iPad version, so you may already own it!
PCalc Lite works on the Apple Vision Pro as an iPad app in compatibility mode.
17th September 2023
PCalc 3.13.1 is available here.
Just a fix for a crash in the settings if you were using the 2013 alternative app icons on iOS 17. Which was a wild bug to track down!
17th September 2023
PCalc 3.13.1 is available here.
Just a fix for a crash in the settings if you were using the 2013 alternative app icons on iOS 17. Which was a wild bug to track down!
15th September 2023
PCalc 3.13 is available here.
This is a relatively modest update that adds support for iOS 17.
No new interactive calculator widget as yet - the performance when entering numbers wasn't great in my testing, and I'm waiting to see how the Dice by PCalc widget does with App Review. It is something I hope to add down the line, certainly, so watch this space.
The full list of changes is here.
9th March 2023
PCalc 3.12.2 is available here.
A small update that fixes a number of bugs, but also adds the ability for user functions and conversions to call other functions and conversions. This isn't intended for fully recursive functions, it's really just so you can do things like a quick currency conversion in the context of another function.
There's also a new option to blink the display when it's updated with an identical value, so you know something has happened.
The full list of changes is here.
19th October 2022
PCalc 3.12.1 is available here.
This is actually a pretty big release for just a .1 update - it adds support for iPadOS 16 and Stage Manager, including multiple independent calculator windows, the return of the rotation lock, and a new set of EV Efficiency conversions.
There's also a new set of ten more adorable Pascal the Panda Messages stickers.
The full list of changes is here.
10th September 2022
PCalc 3.12 is available here.
This release adds support for iOS 16, and also adds the ability to have multiple calculators active at once, each with a separate setup. It also greatly improves support for Dynamic Type throughout the app, and has much more flexible theme options.
Most importantly, there's now a new hugging panda sticker for use in Messages!
The full list of changes is here. PCalc now requires iOS 13 or later.
27th July 2022
PCalc 3.11.4 is available here.
I broke the list of layouts on the iPhone in 3.11.3, and it took a while to get the update approved - sorry about that!
20th July 2022
PCalc 3.11.3 is available here.
A bit of a tidy-up bug fix release to tide things over until the next big update in the autumn. The app also has had a bit of a visual polish, particularly in the settings, and all the conversion, function, and constant categories now have icons.
iCloud syncing is now switched back on by default if you are on iOS 15.5 or later, as Apple fixed a number of syncing bugs.
The full list of changes is here.
29th March 2022
PCalc 3.11.2 is available here.
This release moves the About screen to a standalone app called About by PCalc.
If you have the app installed, selecting "About PCalc" in the Help section will work exactly as before, otherwise you'll see a button to install it.
Don't worry, I haven't given up on whimsy! The new app may have more secrets to explore...
14th December 2021
PCalc 3.11.1 is available here.
A small bug fix release, mostly because of problems syncing with iCloud, which are happening at Apple's end of things. For now, I've switched off iCloud syncing by default until the problems are fixed.
18th September 2021
PCalc 3.11 is available here.
This release adds support for iOS 15, including linking to calculations in Quick Notes on iPad OS 15. There is also support for watchOS 8 and the new Series 7 watches.
The full list of changes is here.
Last year I said it had been a difficult summer for me, and that is still true. But I will keep adding new stuff as we go!
Let me know what you think at @jamesthomson or send me an email.
10th March 2021
PCalc 3.10.5 is available here.
The joy of a next day bug fix release. Conversions in Siri Shortcuts are now fixed again.
9th March 2021
PCalc 3.10.4 is available here.
Another small release mainly to fix some annoying bugs, and bring the code in sync with the latest Mac version. You can also now edit the C / AC behaviour of buttons in the layout editor.
5th February 2021
PCalc 3.10.3 is available here.
A tiny release to work around a problem with lag when pressing buttons on iOS 14. It seems to be related to using AirPods, so I turn off key clicks by default if you're using bluetooth audio.
Look for a big update to PCalc on the Mac in the next few weeks!
7th October 2020
PCalc 3.10.2 is available here.
A fix for a crash bug at startup on iPadOS 14, as well as some new rounded digit styles.
17th September 2020
PCalc 3.10.1 is available here.
This release works around a bug in iOS 14 that caused PCalc to take a long time to open.
16th September 2020
PCalc 3.10 is available here.
This release adds support for iOS 14, and greatly improves the support for hardware keyboards. You can now use all the default keyboard shortcuts from macOS, and can import any custom keyboard shortcuts from there too.
The full list of changes is here.
It's been something of an difficult summer, this 2020, so I don't have as many new features in here as I would like for this year's big release, but I will add more things as time goes on, I promise!
Let me know what you think at @jamesthomson or send me an email.
25th April 2020
PCalc 3.9.5 is available here.
This release mainly fixes a bug in PCalc Lite that was causing a crash when trying to buy the full version, but it also adds the "Hackett Number" to the Universal section of the Constants.
6th February 2020
PCalc 3.9.4 is available here.
This adds an option for left-aligning the main register while you are entering a number, and fixes a bunch of bugs.
20th November 2019
PCalc 3.9.3 is available here.
This adds an advanced layout for the widget, haptic touch contextual menus for the display lines, and lots more!
18th September 2019
PCalc 3.9.2 is available here.
Another quick fix for a problem with missing images in the Apple Watch app on watchOS 4.
13th September 2019
PCalc 3.9.1 is available here.
A mean bug broke into the tip jar in version 3.9 and ran off with the contents! We apologize for the inconvenience.
To make up for it, if you ran 3.9 at any point in the last day, you'll automatically have a bonus amount added to the tip jar from me, (for free!), regardless of whether you previously tipped or not.
To be absolutely clear, you've not been charged anything. This was just the quickest way to fix the bug, by putting an amount into the tip jar of every single person who ran 3.9.
12th September 2019
PCalc 3.9 is available here.
This release adds fulls support for iOS 13, including dark mode, auto theme switching, and the new Siri Shortcuts.
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None More Black
The full list of changes is here. More new features will be coming soon!
Let me know what you think at @jamesthomson or send me an email.
11th June 2019
PCalc 3.8.9 is available here.
Just a small update to mainly fix some bugs before starting the big push for Apple's OS updates in the autumn, but also includes the latest values for all the scientific constants, taken from CODATA 2018.
The full list of changes is here.
We also have some new t-shirts and limited edition pins on our store, featuring Pascal, the PCalc panda mascot. Check them out here.
Let me know what you think at @jamesthomson or send me an email.
5th December 2018
PCalc 3.8.8 is available here.
This is mainly to fix a problem installing the watchOS app on Series 4 watches paired with an iPhone 6 Plus, but it also includes six new delightful Pascal the Panda animated iMessage stickers, as drawn by David Lanham.
Let me know what you think at @jamesthomson or send me an email.
17th November 2018
PCalc 3.8.7 is available here.
This update improves support for the new iPads, and the watch app now downloads currency rates independently from the phone app.
Let me know what you think at @jamesthomson or send me an email.
31st October 2018
PCalc 3.8.6 is available here.
Adds support for the new iPad Pros, and a new press and hold gesture for the number key operator shortcuts in the watch app.
Let me know what you think at @jamesthomson or send me an email.
26th October 2018
PCalc 3.8.5 is available here.
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In your face, 80's calculator watches!
This release has a lot of changes to the watch app - it has two new pages of additional functions, and supports a dark mode theme as well.
Let me know what you think at @jamesthomson or send me an email.
19th October 2018
PCalc 3.8.4 is available here.
Mostly bug fixes, and also an option for displaying currencies to four decimal places.
Let me know what you think at @jamesthomson or send me an email.
11th October 2018
PCalc 3.8.3 is available here.
Lots of fixes and new features for the Apple Watch app and the complications. You can now swipe down on the number buttons in the watch app for quicker access to the operators.
Let me know what you think at @jamesthomson or send me an email.
22nd September 2018
PCalc 3.8.2 is available here.
It's got one pretty cool new feature for Siri Shortcuts users - you can now create custom buttons that open URLs.
What that also means is that you can use the Shortcut app's x-callback-url support to run a shortcut, pass it a value from PCalc, then put the result back into PCalc afterwards.
PCalc now also supports x-callback-url itself, with initial support limited to setting and getting values:
pcalc://x-callback-url/set?value="42"®ister="x"
pcalc://x-callback-url/get?register="y"
Effectively, you can now make PCalc functions that talk to any app on your device that supports Shortcuts! I think this will be pretty powerful going forward.
Tell me if you make something fun with all this at @jamesthomson or send me an email.
16th September 2018
PCalc 3.8.1 is available here.
Just a minor update to fix some niggling bugs with 3.8.
15th September 2018
PCalc 3.8 is available here.
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And introducing, Pascal
This release adds full support for iOS 12, including an extensive Siri Shortcuts section in the settings. It also supports the new iPhone XR / XS / XS Max phones, and the Apple Watch 4.
On the whimsical side for this year, it also comes with a set of animated iMessage stickers of Pascal the PCalc panda as drawn by David Lanham.
The full list of changes is here.
Let me know what you think at @jamesthomson or send me an email.
21st July 2018
Just a small update to fix a bug with operator precedence and powers.
If you are lucky, you can also find the castle of the Panda King...
22nd May 2018
PCalc 3.7.6 is available here.
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I'm whatever Gotham needs me to be.
This is a small update, but it adds a new dark theme, support for grads in trig functions, and display of SI unit prefixes in Engineering mode, amongst other things. So maybe it's not that small after all!
The full list of changes is here.
Let me know what you think at @jamesthomson or send me an email.
30th March 2018
PCalc 3.7.5 is available here. It's a minor update, but adds some new display options, many more of the themes support setting a tint colour, and there's now music in the About screen! What more do you need?
Let me know what you think at @jamesthomson or send me an email.
9th February 2018
PCalc 3.7.4 is available here. It's a small update that fixes a problem updating the currency conversion rates.
Older versions will no longer see updated rates because the European Central Bank added a new currency (the Icelandic Króna) to their rates file and, due to a bug on my part, it caused these old versions to crash after they downloaded it.
Rather than crash, I stopped them updating their rates. This new version will work fine however, and should work with any currencies that are added in the future.
Let me know what you think at @jamesthomson or send me an email.
17th November 2017
PCalc 3.7.3 is available here.
This release is mainly to improve the iPhone X support a little bit more, now that I have a device of my own to test with.
I'm working on some iPhone X specific features now, like an OLED black theme - in the meantime, the Samurai Night theme works pretty well.
Let me know what you think!
31st October 2017
PCalc 3.7.2 is available here.
This improves the iPhone X support, and also adds achievements and leaderboards to the About screen.
Let me know what you think!
13th October 2017
PCalc 3.7.1 is available here.
This is a small bug fix release to correct a few problems on iOS 11, but there's also a "Level 2" in the About screen. Look for the golden banana!
The full list of changes is here.
Let me know what you think!
15th September 2017
PCalc 3.7 is available here.
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Mother of Drag-Ons
This release adds full support for iOS 11, including drag and drop support, and a (quite silly) AR calculator mode. It even supports the iPhone X!
The full list of changes is here.
Let me know what you think!
29th June 2017
PCalc 3.6.8 is available here.
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The main new feature is one that you can get right here! It's a manual, finally appearing after twenty-five years. It's written by Glenn Fleishman, and is a general introduction to the app, along with a list of every button and setting and what they do.
You can download a copy as a PDF here, which is better for printing and reading on large screens, and as an EPUB here which is better for smaller screens like a phone.
Let me know what you think!
13th June 2017
PCalc 3.6.7 is available here.
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It's mainly just a small bug fix release for a display problem on the new 10.5-inch iPad Pro, although there are some new icons in there as well, naturally!
Let me know what you think!
2nd June 2017
PCalc 3.6.6 is available here.
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I wanted to get a fix out for a problem with the tip jar total not syncing to other devices, but while I was at it I added some more icons! The tip jar seems to be a popular feature, so thank you everybody who has tipped - it's appreciated. Oh, and there's a silly "Gravity Mode" feature in the Advanced section of the settings.
It's the week before WWDC, so I wanted to get all this out of my system before I settle down into the long months of supporting whatever it is that gets announced on Monday.
Get in touch if you have any ideas for new features, or even just new icons!
25th May 2017
There was a small 3.6.5 update for PCalc Lite to fix a problem with the alternate icon resetting.
24th May 2017
PCalc 3.6.4 is available here.
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In this release I've added the ability to change the icon, and possibly gone a bit overboard as well! Along with the ability to change the icon between the existing blue and orange versions, there are nineteen more icons to choose from including lots of colors and some old designs going way back to 1992. I even redrew the old 2008 icons from scratch!
Now, to unlock these extra icons, I've added an optional tip jar. Since we've never charged for an update, this is an experiment to see if people feel like dropping some extra coins into the jar as a way of supporting the release of new versions. Even if you don't tip, you'll always have the full functionality available, this is just a little cosmetic bonus.
If the icon doesn't change on the homescreen, restart your device and that will fix it - there seems to be an iOS bug that causes the icons get stuck occasionally.
The full list of changes is here.
Let me know what you think. Do you love the tip jar idea, do you hate it? All comments and suggestions welcome.
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27th January 2017
PCalc 3.6.3 is available here.
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This release adds a number of small but useful functions. You can now optionally display labels on buttons to show the 2nd function for that button - it's in the Advanced section of the settings. And you can also now export all settings and user data from PCalc into a single file, send that to another device or to somebody else, and import everything again into a different copy. Works between PCalc and PCalc Lite too.
In PCalc Lite, instead of offering an "Upgrade Pack" in-app purchase, it now lets you buy the full version of the app directly. All other in-app purchases are unchanged, and the "Upgrade Pack" still works exactly as before if already purchased, giving identical functionality to the full app. But hopefully this should reduce confusion with people expecting the icon and name to change.
The full list of changes is here.
Let me know what you think! All comments and suggestions welcome.
3rd October 2016
PCalc 3.6.2 is available here.
Turns out, people are very particular about their rounding algorithms! So, by popular demand, the default is now back to "round to nearest or even" but I've added a new rounding part to the Advanced section of the settings, where you can pick the method you like. This applies to the main display and anywhere else in the app where rounding occurs because of the "number of decimal places" slider, not just to the "Round" button.
I've also fixed a bug in the fraction display mode on 32-bit devices.
24th September 2016
PCalc 3.6.1 is available here.
This is mostly to fix a crash with the widget on the iPhone 7 Plus - see my twitter feed for much discussion as I tried to work out what was going wrong. But, it also gave me a chance to add support for the new haptic feedback API on the new phones too. The full list of changes is here.
Every time I do an update like this, it starts out with no reviews, so if you like this update I'd appreciate it if you added or updated one yourself. Thanks, it makes a big difference to sales!
12th September 2016
PCalc 3.6 is now available here.
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Fractionally improved...
This release adds full support for iOS 10 and watchOS 3, including a brand new widget and an updated watch app. Highlights include:
- New look widget on iOS 10, including a mini calculator when you 3D Touch the PCalc icon.
- A new "Fraction" display mode that shows the closest fraction for the current decimal result.
- The ability to lock the calculator orientation in either portrait or landscape.
- Much better handling of splitscreen on an iPad.
- Improved key clicks with stereophonic sound!
- Added support for game controllers. Yes, really.
The Apple Watch app has a new constants section, improved dictation, and support for gestures and Scribble on watchOS 3.
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The full list of changes is here.
New versions are also available for macOS Sierra, and tvOS 10.
Hope you like this update. Get in touch at @jamesthomson or send me an email!
18th March 2016
PCalc 3.5.3 is now available here.
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The first thing you'll notice are the new icons, designed by Frank at grafiksyndikat.com. I've unified the design of all the icons across all the different platforms PCalc runs on. The old icons were gettng a bit tired and didn't fit in as well with the OS, especially on the Mac, and these are modern and easily recognisable.
The Apple Watch app gains a new unit conversion section, as well as a watch face complication to make it easier to access the app.
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This release also brings a number of fixes and improvements, like the ability to specify E notation for the main display rather than using superscript numbers, and it makes the behaviour of the delete key more sensible when you are dealing with decimals and exponents.
The full list of changes is here. Hope you like this update!
Love or hate the new icons, let me know what you think at @jamesthomson or send me an email!
30th October 2015
PCalc is now available for the Apple TV!
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They said it couldn't be done. They said it shouldn't be done. But I went and did it anyway!
Yes, it's PCalc for the Apple TV. It's optimised for use with a remote and has many of the features from the parent iOS and Mac apps including an optional RPN mode, multiple layouts and themes, and full speech support.
It's currently only $1.99 in the US - the price varies in other countries, but similarly low. It doesn't have every feature yet - no tape or unit conversions for example - so I've priced it appropriately for now and I may increase the price as more things get added. I had consider making it a Universal Purchase with the main iOS app, but because you can upgrade PCalc through an in-app purchase in the free PCalc Lite as well, that would have excluded those people from getting hold of it.
So, the fairest thing to everybody - and fair to me, the developer, as well - is that I've made it a standalone app.
To buy a copy, just search on the Apple TV for "pcalc" - select the icon that appears and it will take you directly to the App Store page.
Let me know what you think and what you'd like to see added next - I'm always open to feedback and feature requests!
8th October 2015
PCalc 3.5.2 is now available here.
This is a small update with one big feature! I've added 3D Touch support to PCalc, for the new iPhone 6S and 6S+. After you've run it once, you'll see a new shortcut menu when you press on the PCalc icon. You can also press on the display to quickly peek at either the registers, RPN stack, or the tape.
There's a very extensive 3D Touch configuation section in the settings now too. And no, that's not the new long iPhone 7, I just stitched together some screenshots!
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I think that's all the main stuff I need to do for iOS 9 and the new phones, sorry it took me three releases, but it's been a bit crazy here, and the 3D Touch was a bit of a last minute surprise as well. Hope you like the combined 3.5.x release anyway! I'd appreciate it if you added a review for 3.5.2, since this update just hid all the good reviews for the previous versions - it's a big help if people see positive reviews when they go to buy a copy. Thanks in advance!
Let me know what you think of it too - always open to feedback and feature requests!
30th September 2015
Just a little bit of cross promotion - PCalc 4.3 for the Mac is now available here. This adds support for El Capitan, adds a bunch of features, and also brings the code up-to-date with version 3.5.1 for iOS.
I'm also currently working on a small iOS update to add 3D Touch support for the iPhone 6S and 6S+. I should have something to share very soon!
24th September 2015
PCalc 3.5.1 for iOS 9 and watchOS 2 is now available here.I wanted to get a quick release out to fix a number of annoying bugs that slipped into 3.5, but there are some nice new features available too!
The watch app has had a bit of a lick of paint, and now features subtle haptic feedback when you press the buttons - I think it's really cool, and lets you know that you that it accepted your tap.
I've also collected together all the existing accessibility options, together with some new ones, and created a new "Accessibility" section in the settings. There are lots of options for bigger text, switching off animations, and spoken feedback. I've made all of these options available in PCalc Lite for the first time too, for free. I felt bad that I was inadventently charging for accessibility options by the fact of hiding them in the Advanced settings (which weren't available in Lite unless you bought the "Power User Pack" in-app purchase). So, I've done something about it!
Incidentally, the "Programmer Pack" was accidentally left switched on by default in PCalc Lite 3.5 but this has now been fixed - hope you enjoyed the free taste!
To quote myself of ten days ago, I hope you enjoy this release - as always updated reviews on the App Store, and anything else to help get the word out, are appreciated. Please let me know what you think.
14th September 2015
PCalc 3.5 for iOS 9 and watchOS 2 is now available here.
This release adds full support for the split-screen multitasking of iOS9. There's a completely new set of layouts available in split screen mode, optimised for a tall, thin column. But of course, you can edit them as well as create your own.
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Due to popular demand, I've also changed the behaviour of the percentage key in algebraic mode to match the Apple calculator - but the old behaviour is still available via the "Display Percentage Result" option in the Advanced settings.
The full list of changes is here. Oh, and the main PCalc app still supports iOS 7 or later, but the watch app now requires a minimum of watchOS 2.
I hope you enjoy this release - as always updated reviews on the App Store, and anything else to help get the word out, are appreciated. Please let me know what you think!
Next stop, the Mac version of 4.3, and perhaps the new Apple TV!
10th June 2015
PCalc 3.4.1 is available here.
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This is just a small update, but it adds a very powerful feature to the watch app. You can now dictate numbers and simple calculations - just tap the display and talk! As a bonus, you can also paste the same kinds of calculations into the main app.
If you like it, it would be great if you could write a review on the app store - or update an existing one. Thanks very much!
19th May 2015
PCalc 3.4 has been released, with support for the Apple Watch! It's available here.
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This update gives you a fully functional calculator on your wrist, complete with a tip calculator. Tap the blue "…" button to switch between the pages.
Force touch brings up a menu that lets you send the current calculation direct to your phone, clear everything, or perform undo and redo. There's also a glance which will show you the most recent results from the phone and the watch.
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If you like it, it would be very helpful if you could add or update a review on the store for this release. In any case, please let me know what you think, and thanks!
Older news is here.